Posted Jan 19, 2017, Updated Jul 13, 2024 This single-serve healthy Mug Brownie is a recipe that took me a year to perfect. It’s not a mug cake – it is a gooey, fudgy paleo brownie that is ready in under 5 minutes and totally healthy! Now when the chocolate craving hits and you don’t have time to bake brownies, you can make this healthy mug brownie, top it with your favorite paleo vanilla ice cream and have a delicious dessert in no time. A slightly underbaked gooey ramekin of chocolate brownie can be yours whenever you want it. Plus, this mug brownie is vegan, paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar free!
Paleo Mug Brownie: Ingredients & Substitutions
As always I recommend that you make the recipe exactly as written. I went through so many trials and errors to get this healthy mug brownie just right…that I know it’s best when the recipe is followed to a T. However, I know y’all will want to know what you can substitute, so here we go:
Almond butter: you can use any nut/seed butter. I have had the best results with almond butter, cashew butter and peanut butter (not paleo). Coconut oil: Grass-fed butter or ghee can be used in place of coconut oil. Almond Milk: Any dairy or non-dairy milk, cream or even creamer will work as a substitution for almond milk. Coconut sugar: Any granulated sugar can be used without affecting the results. Honey or maple syrup are also a possible substitution, however I find that it makes this even more gooey and it tastes less like an actual brownie and more like brownie pudding if you use a liquid sweetener. Almond flour: The only substitutions that could potentially work here are: another nut flour, a gluten-free flour blend, or oat flour. Do not use coconut flour, it is not a 1:1 substitute for almond flour (or any flour).
Paleo Chocolate Chips & Bars
Sometimes it’s hard to figure out which chocolate chips are Paleo, so I’ll discuss some of my favorite healthier chocolate options!
Hu Kitchen Chocolate Gems. This is my favorite paleo chocolate. These gems are delicious and easy to toss into cookies (no bar chopping required). Hu Kitchen Dark Chocolate Bars. You can also buy dark chocolate bars and chop them up to toss into these paleo chocolate chip cookies. Lily’s Dark Chocolate. They make chips and bars that are stevia sweetened, low carb, keto, etc. Enjoy Life Foods Dark Chocolate Chips are a good option that are vegan, dairy-free but not fully paleo.
How to Make a Healthy Mug Brownie
Let’s walk through this recipe step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video. To begin, melt together the coconut oil and almond butter. Next, add the rest of the wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Then add the try ingredients. Stir until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps. Then, add chocolate chips and put the mixture into a greased ramekin or mug. Microwave the mug brownie for 1 minute, then remove it and let sit until slightly cooled (it really needs to cool or you will destroy your mouth). Note: If you look at the picture below, you will see that this little healthy treat is not the prettiest. Since it’s not a cake I had to sacrifice the perfect, puffy top in order to make it irresistibly fudgy and gooey (so worth it). Top it with ice cream and you won’t be able to tell!
Serve
I suggest serving this healthy mug brownie with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of almond butter. Here are some of my favorite ice cream recipes:
The best paleo vanilla ice cream – you’ll love it. Paleo chocolate ice cream with sea salt is so good. Want something different? Try this matcha ice cream (paleo). This paleo cookie dough ice cream is so yummy! My favorite dairy free ice cream is this dairy-free chocolate peanut butter ice cream.
If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
